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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Sep 4

Molecules I've made (in model from). My very first synthesis in a research context; 4-Ethoxyiodobenzene. The paper described a "yellow oil", for me, colourless crystals that blocked the condenser. Downside; having to muck about with the vacuum distillation. Upside; more pure than those guys. 🧪

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Sep 3

Self-indulgent, but found my old Cochrane's student model kit. Making molecules to which I have a connection. From those PhD days (~1992) I made this rhenium(I) trithiacyclononane tricarbonyl cation (unpublished). Spectacular proton NMR, magnetic inequivalence, an AA'A"BB'B"CC'C"DD'D" spin system.🧪

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Sep 2

Bit of a renovation project.
Designed by Prof L.F.Fieser, originally sold by Aldrich, these vintage molecular model kits allow students to understand "... conformational and steric effects as well as geometric relationships". #ChemEd 🧪

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 26

Which is not what I thought it was going to be.

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 26

Then I spot this!

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 26

First I find this.

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 22

Not all of the molecular model sets I've recently acquired are tatty and grubby. I believe this is a Catalin space-filling model with Bakelite atoms. Oh the excitement, it's like Lego from the 1940s, what shall I make? 🧪 #SciComm

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 21

This is camphor; a rigid and chiral ketone. It finds little use these days, but you may encounter it as a component of the taste of Rosemary.🧪#SciComm

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 19

This is Anethole; the flavour of aniseed. Soluble in ethanol, but not in water, you see this compound as the cloudy precipitate when you pour your Ricard/Sambuca/Ouzo/Raki over ice. 🧪 #SciComm

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 18

I tried to use this construction technique to make a representation of the diamond structure, but I don't think it can be done.

Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 18

Beautiful. And, chemically if atoms were at the intersections , and if it was bipartite (alternate Nb and O atoms), it is the niobium monoxide structure!

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 18

Remember, "burnt" is very much broken molecules.

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 17

This vanilla-acetone thing (aka zingerone) is a fragment of gingerol-6 and gingerol-8, which are amongst the components of the taste in fresh ginger.
Baking (180 C) is enough to drive the reaction.
In my chemistry experience, most organic molecules start to fall apart above 250 C.

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 17

I don't know much about biology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology or psychology...but, maybe, yeah.
I notice there are quite a few medical reviews of the anti-inflammatory properties of this wonder molecule!

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 17

That's definitely an experiment worth doing. 🤞

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Reposted by Daniel

A/Prof Charles Cranfield @charlescranfield.bsky.social · May 28

This decision is inexplicable. I'm very angry that the science is continuing to be ignored by those elected to represent us. It will cost us all, dearly.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Labor approves extension of Woodside’s contentious North West Shelf gas development

Murray Watt will approve the extension of one of the world’s biggest liquified natural gas projects from 2030 to 2070

www.theguardian.com

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 17

Adjacent to this iconic mountain today; Buachaille Etive Mor. Secretly quite pleased when eldest decided it was too midgy to continue, and we could retire to The Green Welly. #Scotland

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 17

This is Zingerone. A much better name than the legal IUPAC one; 4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) butan-2-one!
Cooking ginger chemically transforms the gingerol molecule into sweeter and more flavoursome zingerone.🧪 #SciComm

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 17

And everyone loves lavender!

Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 16

Another small molecule from the "antique" model set:
(R)-Linalool ( C black, H white, O red) is the molecule responsible for the smell of lavender. #SciComm 🧪

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 15

"One man's rubbish is another man's treasure"
Rescued lots of grubby old chemistry model sets from a teaching lab clear out. This one scrubbed up well. Not so good free standing - heavy balls, long springs- but okay with the right support.
(R)-Carvone aka spearmint flavour #SciComm 🧪

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 14

Across Loch Long #Scotland

Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Aug 3

Tiny treasure revealed by the low tide at Cove today. Uranium glass #Everydayelements 🧪
Popular and fashionable between 1880-1920, which coincides with the post industrial movement of wealthy Glaswegian merchants out of the city to large country houses in this corner of the Firth of Clyde.

A bright green grain amongst the natural colours of the small pebbles on the beach.

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Jul 31

This vertex and edge truncated (maybe bevelled) tetrahedron seems to be a great shape to build carbon based molecular models. I need to grow it into the diamond structure.🧪

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Daniel @danieljprice.bsky.social · Jul 31

Seem to be doing an impromptu tour of the erratics of Loch Long today. #notthebedrock #Scotland

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